Business Environment Rankings
GCC Business Environment Indicators (World Bank B-READY / Legacy EODB framework):
| Country | Former EODB Rank | Company Formation (days) | Foreign Ownership | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | 16 | 3-5 | 100% most sectors | Digital-first regulation |
| Bahrain | 43 | 5-7 | 100% most sectors | Financial sector openness |
| Saudi Arabia | 62 | 3-5 | 100% most sectors | Vision 2030 reform pace |
| Oman | 68 | 7-10 | 100% since 2019 | Improving rapidly |
| Qatar | 77 | 10-14 | Restricted | Energy sector scale |
| Kuwait | 83 | 15-20 | Restricted | Lagging reform |
Analysis
Oman’s business environment has improved substantially since 2019 through three landmark reforms: the Foreign Capital Investment Law permitting 100 percent foreign ownership across most sectors, the elimination of minimum capital requirements for many activities, and the launch of the Invest in Oman digital portal for streamlined licensing. These reforms moved Oman from a restrictive investment environment to one broadly competitive with regional peers on regulatory openness.
However, a gap persists between regulatory intent and operational reality. Company formation timelines remain longer than in the UAE or Saudi Arabia. Cross-governorate regulatory consistency is uneven. The court system’s capacity to adjudicate commercial disputes, while improving with the Investment and Commercial Court, still trails the specialised commercial courts of DIFC and ADGM. Labour market regulations, particularly Omanisation quota enforcement, add compliance complexity that UAE and Bahrain free zones avoid.
Competitive Positioning
Oman’s business environment occupies a distinct niche within the GCC: more accessible than Qatar and Kuwait, less saturated than the UAE and Bahrain, and with a cost structure significantly lower than Dubai or Abu Dhabi. For investors seeking a GCC entry point with lower establishment costs, available land and infrastructure, and genuine government attention to individual investment projects, Oman offers advantages that the UAE’s scale and competition cannot replicate.
Reform Trajectory
The pace of regulatory reform under Sultan Haitham’s administration has been faster than any prior period in Oman’s modern economic history. The Commercial Companies Law amendments, Public-Private Partnership Law, Bankruptcy Law, and Competition Law have collectively modernised the legal infrastructure for business. The test is whether implementation keeps pace with legislative ambition — a challenge common across emerging markets.
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